Egg separator



B. KAINER.

, EGGI sEPAnAToR. APPLICATION FILED' DEC.5. |921.

1,428,594. Patentedsept. 12,1922.

Patented Sept. 12, 192.2a

STATES ATENT ortica- BENJAMIN Kamen, or New Yoan, N. Y.

` `EGGr SEPARATOR;

Application led December 5, 1921. Serial No. 520,031.

To @ZZ whom it 'may concern.' I

Be it known that I, BnNJAiuiN KAINER (name changed by order of court from BEN- JAMIN KAisER), a citizen of they United.

States, and a resident of the city, county,

and State of N ew York, have invented cer-` tain new and useful Improvements infFigg Separatore, of which the following is a specification. i

My invention relates to crates for packing eggs for shipment, handling and storage` can be made approximately as cheaply as the ordinary cardboard separator most 'commonly used for such purposes. infact, the increased cost of manufacture 1s almost negligible as it simply requires a slightadditional quantity of stock.

In the shipment ofeggs ducers tothe markets and even inshipping between rpoints in the `same city there is always a large percentage of breakage and this has been a great economic waste. Many attempts have been made to provide separators whichwould reduce the breakage. Most devices heretofore triedand whichfgave even partially successful results have been expensive to make and as the original cases `and separators are not generally returned `to the shippersthe additional cost, of such separators has prevented their adoption for general use. This for the reason that the additional cost of the separators to the original shippers offset the saving in breakage of the eggs. The present device is adaptedto prevent breakage and not add materially to the cost of the ordinary separator.

An egg resists breakage more strongly in the direction of its length or major axis but the way they are now most commonly packed for shipment they receive most of the shocks during shipment in the direction of their minor axis in which direction they are less able to resist breakage. In the present device the eggs are retained with their major axes vertical in the case to prevent or reduce breakage. The device may be made with compartments of uniform size but the flap used to retain the eggs in proper position adjusts itself toeggs of different sizes and maintains them in the position referred to.

In addition to the springiness ofthe top and bottom walls ywith `which the eggs engage, the present device forms a springsupport at the sides which will nevertheless retain the eggs inthe correct position in the case. The eggsmay` be packedin `the present device as rapidly as in the standard crates now infuse.

In thedrawing. forming part of this application,

Figurel, is a perspective view of a. port-ion of one of my improved separators,

7Figure 2 is a sectional view thereof show.-

ing` the eggs packed therein, l

Figure 3 is a face viewof one of the'strips of which the separator is formed, and

Figure 4 isa face-viewof.` one of the strips whichruns at rightwangles thereto. i

I prefer to makethe. separator of; thek collapsible type conforming to present practice because they can. be shipped zin flat condition totheusers; although my invention is not limited to Ia, collapsible type.A yHerein-I v l y .i .have shownfaseriesof 'stripslofcardboard from the -prowhich may extend lengthwise of the case on container 2 and a series of'cardboard strips 3 which may extend;- crosswise lof the case or at right' angles tothe strips l. Thestrips 3y are provided with slotsizin theirupper edges andwith T shaped aperturesflower down ornearer the bottom edge, these slots and apertures ybeing repeated-along the strips equal distances corresponding with one dimension of the egg compartments..

The strips l are eachprovided kywith slots.y 6

along theiribottom edges, which slotsfare so shaped as to provide tongues 7. When the strips l are placed over the strips 3 and at right angles thereto with the slots 6 in line with the strips 3 and with the strips l in line with the slots Li, the strips l may be moved down until the strips are in the saine plane and then the tongues 7 snap into the yT shaped slots 5 as shown in Figure 1 and lock the longitudinal and cross strips together. Any number of strips are assembled in this manner to provi-de a separator of such dimensions as to conform to any size case or container. The separator may be collapsed, the strips l pivoting on the strips 8 so that the separators may be shipped to the users in flat condition.

Thus far I have described an ordinary form of separator and itis to be understood when the separators are put into use, andL the resistance to the bending of" the stock serves as a force to hold the flaps against the eggs. Y

Flat sheets ll for bottomsand tops for the several compartments 8 are used as in present practice. In using the separators the shipper packs the case in a manner very similar to what has been common practice.l

Generally, a layer of corrugated board (not shown) is placed in the bottom of the case for the bottom layer of eggs to rest on and then one of the separators is placed on this corrugated board; an egg is placed in each compartment 8 of the separator and then a i top sheet 1l is placed yon the first separator.

Then another separator is placed on this top sheet, eggs are placed in its compartments and another top sheet is placed thereon; and this is repeatedy until the Whole crate has been packed.

The separator is placed in the crate With the flaps 9 at the top of the separator and as the packer is about to place an egg in each compartment 8 he first bends down the flaps 9-to force it down into the compartment 8 and then he places the egg in the compartment with its major axis vertical; The egg rests against the wall l2 of the compartment 8 and on the opposite side it is engaged by the Hap 9 and is held by it pressed against the Wall l2. The flap 9 prevents the egg from turning over in the compartment so that it liesin the case with its major aXis vertical. In this position the egg resists breakage to a greater extent than 1t other- Wise would. Since the egg is prevented from shaking around in the compartment the liability of breakage is reduced to a minimum. One egg is placed in each compartment in the manner described and when the separator is filled a sheet ll is placed uponit and then anotherseparator is placed upon the sheet; and this procedure is followed until the Whole crate has been filled.

It will be apparent that the only additional cost of the present article over separators novv in general use is the cost of the stock of which the flaps 9 are composed, which is almost negligible. The separators may be filled about as rapidly as in present practice.

Having described my invention what I claim is l. A separator for holding eggs in a crate comprising a plurality of longitudinal and cross strips forming compartments between them to receive therein the eggs for shipment, and flaps extending from the top edges of said strips and into said compartments and adapted to press the eggs into contact with the Walls of said compartments.

2. A separator for holding eggs in a crate comprising a plurality of longitudinal strips, aplurality of transverse strips interlocking therewith to form the Walls of compartments, and adapted to be collapsed into flat form, integral flaps extending from the edges of some of said strips and having free ends projecting into said compartments, said strips being adapted to press the eggs into contact with the Walls of said compartments to retain the eggs vertically therein.

Signed at the city, county and State of New York, this 12th day of November, 1921.

BENJAMIN KAINER. 

